The Mississippi Department of Education released the results of the 2019 3rd Grade Reading Assessment test last week. Statewide three-out-of-four 3rd graders met or exceeded the requirements set forth by the Mississippi Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA). Locally, 73.4 percent of Scott County School District 3rd graders passed the assessment, and 68.1 percent of Forest Municipal School District students passed the assessment.
The LBPA requires 3rd graders to pass a reading assessment to qualify for promotion to 4th grade. An amendment to the law in 2016 raised reading-level expectations starting in the 2018-19 school year, requiring 3rd graders to score at Level 3 or higher on the reading portion of the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) English Language Arts (ELA) assessment. In past years students only needed to score at Level 2 or higher on the ELA assessment.
Level 3 indicates a student is approaching third grade-level expectations. Level 4 means a student has mastered third grade-level reading standards.
The Scott County School District had an overall passage rate of 73.4 percent as compared to 93.2 in 2018. Each individual school scored as follows:
Lake Elementary School 76.3 percent of students met requirements which is down from 90.5 percent in 2018.
Morton Elementary 66.7 percent of students met requirements which is down from 91.3 percent in 2018.
Scott Central Attendance Center 79.4 percent of students met requirements down from greater than 95 percent in 2018.
Sebastopol Attendance Center 88.6 percent of students met requirements down from greater than 95 percent in 2018.
Scott County School Superintendent Dr. Tony McGee said in a prepared statement, “We are very thankful for the hard work of our teachers, students, and administration for their dedication and preparation for the 3rd grade MAAP ELA Assessment. School districts across the state were charged with increasing rigor this year as the state moved the level of ‘Pass/Fail’ from Level 2 to Level 3. The average ‘Pass’ rate for Mississippi at level 2 was 93.2 percent in 2018. The average ‘Pass’ rate for the state of Mississippi dropped to 74.5 percent with the cut score moving to level 3.
“Overall, I think our educators worked very hard to prepare our students for the increase in rigor. The Scott County School District was at the state average with 74.3 percnet of students passing the initial administration of the 3rd Grade MAAP Spring Assessment. Students who scored below the Level 3 cut score will have two more opportunities to pass the test before the 2019-2020 school year begins.”
The Forest Municipal School District, which includes only Forest Elementary School had an overall passage rate of 68.1 percent as compared to 89.3 percent in 2018.
Forest Municipal School District Assistant Superintendent Tammy Bell said in a prepared statement, “The FMSD is very appreciative of all the hard work and tireless efforts made by our administrators, teachers, parents and students to prepare for the increased ‘pass’ score for this year’s 3rd grade Gate Assessment. With the high pass requirements, Forest Elementary’s initial pass rate prior to the Good Cause Exemption is 68.1 percent; with Good Cause our initial pass rate is 80 percent. On May 15 students not meeting the pass requirement took a retest and those results are expected on May 31.”
All Scott County students who did not pass will have two additional opportunities to retest before the start of the new school year.
The LBPA requires that students who do not pass the 3rd Grade Reading Assessment be retained in 3rd grade, unless the student meets the good cause exemptions specified in the law. Exemptions apply to certain students with disabilities, students learning English or students who have been previously retained. Local school districts determine which of their students who did not pass qualify for one of the good cause exemptions for promotion to 4th grade. The law requires schools to provide intensive reading intervention services to students retained in the 3rd grade and to students promoted to 4th grade with a good cause exemption.
